The Voice of Antibullying
Who knows bullying better than those who are bullied? The last two week's blogs for Autism Spectrum Disorders, "Bullying in ASD" and "The Vocabulary of Bullying" have dealt with an overview of bullying and the words that people with ASD need to know that deal with bullying.
Now, the words/vocabulary you need from one on the other end of bullying.
Doug's Top Ten Antibullying Words are from a man who has lived in the world of autism all his life. He knows bullying. He has worked hard at developing strategies he finds effective to combat bullies.
- This is powerful.
- This is speech/language therapy for students with ASD.
- This could change a life.
Ignore: ignore the bully - what he/she is saying and doing.
Walk Away: turn your back and walk away
Support: those who are bullied need to offer support to one another
Get Help: seek the help of adults or persons of authority
Not Fight Back: do not fight back or mouth off although it is tempting because that is reinforcing to the bully.
Respect: maintain respect for yourself and for others who are bulled because you don't deserve being treated that way.
Empathy: offer empathy to someone you see being bullied and stand up for them. Don't be a bystander.
Talk It Out: discuss your feelings within a group of peers or with an individual you can trust.
Kindness: "kill them with kindness." If you do something kind for a bully, it can take him/her by surprise and hopefully make them look at life a little differently.
Confidence: having confidence in your own strength and ability gives you the courage to turn and walk away from the situation.
Last weeks list, The Vocabulary of Bullying and Doug's Top Ten Antibullying Words, should be posted in your therapy rooms, clinical offices, and shared with parents and other professionals. We all need to be a part of curbing the rampage of bullying. This is one role the SLP can take, get involved, and make a difference.
"Speech pathologists make good things happen."